Ways to Stay Active!

As the pandemic continues to drag on and most of us have continued to be relegated to our homes, feeling like a productive member of society has become a little difficult. Let alone feeling like you are keeping up with your activism. I know that I have had a hard time feeling like I am actively helping, especially when online classes generally means that, some days, I don’t leave my bed.

Here are some ways that you can get yourself back into the feminist/activist mindset for the new year:

1. Educate Yourself

YouTube and TED Talks from feminists are great ways to learn and to expand your viewpoints! Plus, sometimes listening and watching is easier than reading.

2. Talk to People

Talk to your friends and family about what you’ve learned! Start a feminist book club to discuss feminist thought!

3. Fill Your Feeds with Diverse and Encompassing Narratives/Advocates

I love scrolling on insta, so here are cool pages to check out:

@alokvmenon – They do a lot of activism for trans awareness and looking beyond the gender binary. They also post these really helpful “book reports” that give you a summary of books that look at alternative and de-white-ifying history.

@domrobxrts – She makes helpful text posts, like “how to be anti-racist.” She also runs “The Uncomfortable Podcast” which looks into “what it means to be Black in America”

@dcteensaction – This page has weekly info about protests going on in the DMV area (helpful for Harrisonburg residents, it’s not too long of a drive), and they also have a lot of helpful resources about getting involved.

4. Sign Petitions

Change.org is a great resource for starting and signing petitions. Also, The Action Network (not the sports betting website) is good for signing petitions!

5. Write to Your Local Representatives

Here is a link to a template and some tips for writing to representatives, and here is how to find your representatives.

6. Donate

If you have the ability, donating to causes does help – though always make sure that what you are donating through is good. For example, it looks like, although Change.org is a good resource for petitions, using it to donate is not a good idea since it is a for-profit organization.

This resource, which went around a lot this past summer, has a plethora of resources for all of the above! Check it out!

7. Zines??

I love a good zine! Zines are third-wave, anti-capitalist, and generally handmade magazines. It’s a cool way to learn if you want to buy one or get info out if you want to make one and distribute it!

Here are some cool zine instas to check out:

@riotandroux – “exploring food, power, and social change”

@bloomzinecollective – “community zine centering QTBIPOC voices on race and gender expression”

@antifragile.zine – “uplifting angry, marginalized voices and the grrrls”

@wastedinkzinedistro – “zine distro uplifting BIPOC, LGBTQIA, disabled & other historically silenced voices”

These are all things that you can do from the comfort of your bed. SO! Even though we may not be able to be out protesting for what we believe in, show that you are an ally, an active feminist, and not just jumping onto popular activism when it suits you. Use your privilege of having access to the internet and being covid-free and keep active in your activism!